National Public Radio - Charles Duelfer's Report on Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq

National Public Radio (NPR) October 6, 2004 Wednesday

SHOW: Talk of the Nation 3:00 AM EST NPR

HEADLINE: Charles Duelfer's report on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq

ANCHORS: JOE PALCA

BODY:

JOE PALCA, host:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Joe Palca in Washington, sitting in for Neal Conan.

As we go to air this hour chief US weapons inspector Charles Duelfer is testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on his investigation into Iraq's possible weapons of mass destruction. Many analysts say this testimony and the 1,500-page report that goes with it are as close to a final word on Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons programs as we can expect. Duelfer took over the Iraq Survey Group last December after its former head, David Kay, resigned. Mr. Duelfer began his testimony a few minutes ago and in a few minutes, we'll hear from NPR correspondent Mike Shuster and former weapons inspector David Kay. But right now, we go live to the Armed Services Committee and Mr. Duelfer's testimony.

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Rep. COLE: Well, I certainly have. Particularly in concert with what we've seen from previous Senate intelligence reports and the 9-11 Commission, I think, you know, a clearer pictures is beginning to emerge here of exactly what was happening on the eve of the war inside Iraq.

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Rep. COLE: I think it's mixed. I think, you know, clearly, we overestimated the immediate capabilities that Saddam Hussein had. On the other hand, as the report makes clear, it systematically violated the sanctions that he was under. He was working toward getting out from under those sanctions. He was going to have within a matter of months the ability to produce WMDs of various types. And he was definitely set on doing that. And given his previous record of having and using those weapons and his hostility toward the United States, I think we had every justification to take pre-emptive action when we did.

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Rep. COLE: I think it will establish the fact that the president was right, that there was an emerging threat in Iraq, that Saddam Hussein was neither a toothless tiger nor one who had lost his predatory intentions and appetite. And, you know, it's amazing to me, the critics are basically saying the president was right too soon. He acted too soon. In other words, we should have allowed the threat to mature longer, allowed weapons to be acquired, allowed to see it almost to the eve of attack. And, of course, the dangerous thing, for the president's standpoint and for the country's standpoint is, once these weapons are created, they can now be very quickly transferred to terrorist organizations that can use them in a stealthy fashion. We're not dealing with nation-states there. We're dealing between the junction of a nation-state on one hand and terrorist organizations on the other. And I think there's every reason to believe someone like Saddam Hussein would have transferred and used weapons against the country. I think the president was wise to act when he did and in the way he did.

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Rep. COLE: Thank you, Joe.